Gas and liquid separator



May 30, 1950 c. R. NEEsoN GAS AND LIQUID sEPARAToR Filed Aug. 31, 1946 GAS f-IE

' iIls/VENTOR. /ARLES N555 O/v Patented May 30, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAS AND LIQUID SEPARATOR Charles R. Neeson, Oakwood, Ohio, assigner to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application August 31, 1946, `Serial No. 694,323

(Cl. 18S-F42) l Claim. 1

My present invention relates to a device for separating suspended liquid particles from a gas. the device being of particular utility in refrigerating systems as ia means for separating suspended o il particles from a refrigerant gas under compression. Other uses may be found for the device and it is not intended to limit the use of the invention to a refrigeration system.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a separator wherein all of the effects usually employed to separate liquid from gas are found in one simple combination. In my invention the liquid lparticles are separated by centrifugalefn feet, by coherence, by scrubbing or screening ao-` tion, and by the effect of gravity upon the liquid particles in an area `through which the gas travels at low velocity.

A further object of my invention is to provide a liquid separatormade of relatively simple parts of relatively simple manufacture.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of my invention will be more readily ap` parent from a studyof `the following specification taken in connection With the accompanying drawings VWlrierein like numerals refer to like parts throughout. In the drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the device; and Fig. 2 `a partial section taken substantially along line 22 of Fig. land looking in the direction of the arrows.

My invention comprises e substantially oylinf drical shell lwhich is adapted to be located with its longitudinal axis in a vertical plane. The shell is preferably made by uniting the edges of two substantially identical cup-shaped members Il and I2 as by means of welding circumferentially as at I3. Other means of uniting the cuplike sections may be employed but I prefer the Welding because of simplicity of manufacture. The sections Il and I2 may be stamped or drawn as identical members by the same forming mechanism, their edges trimmed, andthe two sections stored in a common bin before further fabrication.

`Before uniting the tWo sections the section Il is provided with an opening in a wall thereof adapted to receive the reduced end I5 of an inlet Connection Hix land the section I2 is provided with an opening adapted to receive a liquid outn let connection l1. The diameters of the portion i5 and the connection Il `are preferably the same so that the epenings through the sections may be drilled or punched by the same tool, and the openings are preferably at the same distance from the lip ofthe section so that the forming thereof may be `accomplished inthe samenxture or drilling jig. Thereafter the `sections I! and l2 may still be placedin a common bin since there` is yet no` difference between the two.

At this point in the fabrication of the device one-half of the cup-.like sectionsare provided with a central opening adapted to receive the reduced end 18 of a gas outlet connection lilfthe diameter `of the opening being the same as the diameters of the previous openings for the` same reasons.

The connectors I6 and i9 may be formed as substantially identical Vmembers except that, the longitudinal opening through member AI6 does not extend entirely through the member Whereas the opening through the member I6 does so extend. As seen more clearly in Fig. 2 the opening 20 through the member I9 terminates short of the inner end 2l and the outlet therefrom comprises a transverse slot 22 such as would be formed by a saw or milling cutter, extending half way through the member I5. The member I6 may be formed identically the same as member I9 except that the reduced portion l5 thereof is sufficiently long in comparison to the reduced portion I8 of member I9, that a drill set to descend a certain distance will pass entirely through the member I9 whereas it will not pass through the member IS. The members l5 and i9 may be attached to the section ll as by means of welding at 24 and 25 respectively. The member Il similarly is attached to the section l2 :and by Welding at 26.

A sub-assembly comprising a shelf forming member 28, a cylindrical screening member 29 and a locating member 30 is formed by combining the three members as illustrated in Fig. l. The shelf forming member preferably comprises a horizontal portion terminating in an outer upwardly extending flange 3l of outer diameter to fit snugly within the shell I3, and an inner annular step 32 adapted to receive the screenl member 29, the shelf surrounding a large central aperture 33. The locating member to preferably comprises a central horizontal portion surrounding a restricted central aperture Sil, and a stepped outer portion adapted to receive the upper end of the screen member 29 The screen member 29 preferably comprises a cylindrical roll of several layers of screen material as illustrated, the layers being closely superimposed so as to form a substantially rigid sustaining cylinder. The members 28, 29 and 3|] are preferably joined together as by means of spots of solder as at 3B, at least sufficient thereof being provided to retain the members in assembled relation until nal assembly thereof with the shell section Il. The sub-assembly so formed may be inserted in the shell section until the locating member 3d strikes the top of the section, whereupon the member 28 may be tack-welded to the shell as at 3l. If the heat of welding should melt the solder connecting the members 28 and 2S they will nevertheless be retained in assembled relation by the shouldered flange 32. An alternative form of assembly would be to weld the member 30 in position, to insert the member 29 as a sepa` rate member and to thereafter insert the member 28 as .a separate member which is then welded to the section II. Choice of either method may depend upon the fabricating cost with the facilities available, and in either event screen member 29 will be located and retained in proper position.

The screen Imember 29 is preferably formed of relatively coarse mesh woven wire screen, such as of the order of 16 to 2O meshes to the linear inch. A single layer of such material would undoubtedly pass particles in suspension, but by rolling a strip of such material upon itself a plurality of times there will be such overlapping of the mesh forming material as to form a plurality of labyrinthine passages causing the gas to swirl and eddy upon itself as it passes through the cylindrical member. The moisture particles in suspension will moisten the mesh forming material and will attract other particles to cohere therewith to form larger droplets which will tend to run down between the layers of material or on the outer and inner surfaces of the member 29.

The outer diameter of the member 29 is preferably such as to provide an annular space et entirely enclosed between the shell section ii, the screen 2e and the shelf 28 except for the inlet opening 22 and the passages through the screen material. The member i5 is so connected to the cup section Il that the opening 22 extends substantially tangentially of the inner surface of the shell section i I. Gas and liquid mixture projected under compression and at high velocity through the opening 22 will whirl around the annular space lit, thus causing the heavy liquid particles to tend to separate outwardly by centrifugal effect. The particles will wet the inner wall of the section i i, thus causing other particles to cohere therewith until droplets are formed which `will run down the inner wall.

The inner diameter of the screen section 2e is preferably quite large with respect to the diamu eter of the opening 2@ and of the er. et through member i9 so that the gas which passes through the member 29 will travel through the inner space at considerably reduced velocity. In this area of compartive quiescence any droplets which may remain suspended in the gas tend to separate by falling through the opening 33 under the effect of gravity.

The member Il is provided with an inner threaded opening in which is seated a valve seat such as member e5. A bracket member d@ is attached to the inner end of member Il and a lever lll is pivoted thereto at et. The lower end of the lever carries a valve il@ adapted to seat in the opening of the valve seat d5. The upper end of the lever ill is attached to a ball float e@ as by means of a screw 5i threaded. into a plug F22 of deformable material such as the plug E2 thereby providing weighting means for the float, a seat for the screw 5I and a seal for the opening in the ball. Other types of float, iioat leverage, and valve may be substituted for those shown.

After assembly of the separating means with the `cup section II and of the valve mechanism with the cup section I2 the sections may be united as shown and described to form the complete separator.

The operation of my device is as follows: A source of gas and liquid in suspension therein is connected to the inlet member I6, an outlet tube for the gas is connected to the member I9 and an outlet tube for the liquid is connected to the member Il'. ln the usage for which the device is most adapted at the present time, member I6 will be conected to the outlet of a compressor, member I9 will be connected to the refrigeration system leading back to the compressor, and member Il will be connected to the oil reservoir of the compressor. As is well known in the refrigeration art particles of oil are usually suspended in the compressed gas. These particles will be separated from the gas by the centrifugal effect in space 4U, by the cohering or wiping or scrubbing eifect of the walls and screen member 2e and by the effect of gravity in the central space. The oil so collected falls into the bottom section I2 to form a pool therein. When the level of the pool covers the valve open ing the float 5i? Will be raised to lift the valve is from its seal and the pressure of the gas will cause return of the oil to the compressor.

It is to be noted that the member 28 is Welded to the cup section I i at a distance from the edge or rim of the section. If for any reason it should become necessary to inspect the interior of the separator for adjustment or replacement of parts the device may be placed in a lathe or other cutting machine and the section separated by cutting away the weld I3 and the edgesadjacent thereto. After repair the two sections may then be rejoined. Sufcient material is provided so that this may be done at least once or possibly several times without causing the float I5 to bind against the apertured member 28.

A further advantage of the device is that any foreign particles such as core sand or metal filings which may have been left in the compressor will be permanently trapped between the screen membei' 28 and the wall of section II. Also any fine grit which may iind its way through the screen will tend to fall into and be trappedV in thequiet pool of oil at thebottom of member I2. Y Y

Having illustrated Vand described the preferred form of my invention it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications in detail and arrangement thereof may be divided without departing from the spirit of my invention. I claim as my invention all such modifications as come within the scope of the following claim.

I claim: Y

A device for separating suspended Vliquid'particles from a gas, comprising a housing having upper and lower walls and a cylindrical side Wall, said housing being adapted when in use to be located with its longitudinal axis extending in a substantially vertical direction, partition means in said housing forming an upper and a lower chamber therein, said partition having an aperture therein, said lower chamber being adapted to serve as a reservoir for said liquid, means as sociated with the side wall of said upper chamber and forming an inlet for liquid and gas to be separated, said means being adapted to direct the entering liquid and gas in a direction sub-V 5 stantially tangential to said cylindrical upper chamber to thereby induce motion of the liquid and gas in the upper chamber in a vortex so that liquid will be separated from said gas by centrifugal force and accumulate on the side wall of said upper chamber, said housing having an outlet formed in the top wall thereof and aligned with said axis, said outlet being adapted to serve as a discharge orifice for said gas, a cylindrical filter element formed of pervious material positioned coaxially of said cylindrical housing in said upper chamber and having a lateral dimension larger than said discharge orifice but less than the diameter of said upper chamber so that gas and liquid which are swirling and moving toward the center of said vortex attempt to penetrate said pervious filter material and the gas penetrates the pervious filter material and is withdrawn upwardly through said outlet while liquid collects on the filter and drops by gravity 6 into said lower chamber and any liquid which penetrates the lter drops by gravity to said lower chamber as the gas is Withdrawn upwardly toward said outlet.

CHARLES R. NEESON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

